“Godspell" at the Timber Lake Playhouse -- May 29 through June 7.
Friday, May 29, through Sunday, June 7
Timber Lake Playhouse, 8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll IL
One of the most beloved stage musicals in American history, as well as a Tony Award nominee for Best Original Score, composer Stephen Schwartz's timeless Godspell opens the mainstage season at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, the show's May 29 through June 7 run treating audiences to what NewCity Stage called "a terrific show – fresh, inventive, timeless, and rich."
Godspell was the first major musical-theatre offering from three-time Grammy and Academy Award winner Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Children of Eden), and upon its debut, it took the world by storm. Led by the international hit "Day by Day," Godspell features a parade of beloved songs, including "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord," "Learn Your Lessons Well," "All for the Best," "All Good Gifts," "Turn Back, O Man" and "By My Side." In the musical, a small group of people help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques, and hefty doses of comic timing. An eclectic blend of songs, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus' life dances across the stage. And with Godspell eventually moving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus' messages of kindness, tolerance, and love come vibrantly to life in this show that has been a staple of professional, community, and student theatres since its off-Broadway debut.
The musical began as a project by drama students at Carnegie Mellon University and then moved to the off-off-Broadway theater La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan. Godspell was subsequently re-scored for an off-Broadway production, which opened on May 17, 1971, and became a long-running success. Many productions have followed worldwide, including a 2011 Broadway revival. An abbreviated one-act version of the musical designed for performers aged 18 and under also exists, titled Godspell Junior. Several cast albums have been released over the years. "Day by Day,” from the original cast recording, reached number 13 on the pop singles chart Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1972 and number seven on Canada's RPM 100 Singles chart. In addition, A film version of the musical was released in 1973, set in modern New York and featuring multiple Tony nominee Victor Garber (from the first Canadian cast) as Jesus, David Haskell (from the original cast) as John the Baptist/Judas, and Tony Award winner Lynne Thigpen.
Godspell runs at the Mt. Carroll theatre May 29 through June 7, with scheduled 2 and 7:30 p.m. performances Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is $36-64, and more information and tickets are available by calling (815)244-2035 and visiting TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
